Blanar Meets Top Officials of Kyrgyzstan

Bratislava, April 25 (TASR) - During a two-day working visit to Kyrgyzstan, Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar held talks with the country’s top officials, agreeing with them on the need to strengthen mutual relations, TASR was told by the ministry's press department on Friday. On the same day, Blanar signed an agreement with the Kyrgyz foreign minister to abolish visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and service passports, as well as a cooperation program between the foreign ministries for 2026-27. On Thursday (April 24), Blanar was received by President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov. On Friday, the Slovak minister, together with Kyrgyz Minister of Economy and Trade Bakyt Sydykov, opened a business forum for Slovak and Kyrgyz companies. Afterwards, the two counterparts held bilateral talks about the potential to increase mutual trade volume. The Slovak delegation also held meetings on Friday with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev and Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament Nurlanbek Turgunbek. "We have no open issues with Kyrgyzstan; on the contrary, I can say that we share the same views on many topics," Blanar stated at a press conference. The minister praised the political and economic reforms recently adopted by the Kyrgyz government. “Our entrepreneurs can contribute in many sectors such as engineering, energy, or water management, where we offer excellent expertise,” Blanar declared. In addition, Blanar highlighted the developing cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the EU and welcomed the peaceful resolution of territorial and border disputes in the region, which came about partly due to Kyrgyzstan's initiative. “This is a crucial step for stability, security, and the credibility of the region for investors, entrepreneurs, and their activities, which should be carried out without concern,” he noted. According to Blanar, Slovakia, like Kyrgyzstan, advocates for the observance of international law as the most important tool for small and medium-sized states to protect their sovereignty and security. In this context, the foreign ministers expressed support for candidacies to non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council. Blanar was accompanied in Bishkek by House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Marian Kery, head of the Office for Slovaks Living Abroad Dagmar Repcekova and a large business delegation. mf